Manila Casino Attacker Was Gambling Addict, Deep In Gambler’s Debt, NOT A Terrorist—NOT An Islamist

Manila casino attack suspect was in debt,

hooked on gambling, Philippine police say

 

 

MANILA, Philippines — The lone suspect who launched a deadly attack on a casino and shopping complex in the Philippine capital that left dozens dead was a heavily indebted Filipino who was hooked on gambling, police said Sunday.

Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said the man’s immediate family confirmed his identity as Jessie Carlos – a married father of three and former Finance Department employee who owed more than $80,000 dollars.

The revelations confirm that “this is not an act of terrorism,” Albayalde told a news conference. “This incident is confined to the act of one man alone as we have always said.”

Authorities have repeatedly dismissed a claim of responsibility by the Islamic State group for Friday’s attack on Resorts World Manila.

The suspect’s distraught mother, Teodora, wept during the news briefing and asked for forgiveness. “We’re asking for your apology. We can’t accept ourselves that my son became like this, he was a very kind son,” she said. “He chose to end his life than kill and kill people.”

“The message of what happened to my son is people should not get hooked on gambling so their families won’t get destroyed,” she said.

The Philippines has faced Muslim insurgencies for decades, though much of the violence has occurred in the troubled south, where ongoing battles with Islamic militants are taking place in the southern city of Marawi.

Albayalde said the man had sold off property to support his gambling habit of at least several years, including a vehicle. His family had grown so concerned they had asked casinos in the capital to ban their husband since April 3.

The news came after authorities released security footage showing Carlos casually exiting a taxi just after midnight and walking calmly into a vast entertainment and gambling complex like any other visitor. Shortly afterward, he dons a black ski mask, slips on an ammunition vest and pulls an M4 carbine assault rifle out of his backpack.

2017-06-03t073211z-1230787913-rc1b8cfacf10-rtrmadp-3-philippines-resort.jpg

A woman weeps after learning that her loved one was killed in a casino fire caused by a gunman at Resorts World in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines June 2, 2017

Reuters

What follows borders on the surreal: a slow-motion arson attack and robbery so methodical and unhurried, the gunman appears to walk much of the way – even as he exchanges fire with a security guard and flees, slightly wounded, up a stairwell.

At least 37 patrons and employees died, mostly from smoke inhalation as they tried to hide on the second floor, including one the casino’s VIP rooms, Albayalde said. The gunman fled to an adjoining hotel, where police say he killed himself.

The video footage shown to reporters Saturday appears to bolster the government’s case that this was a botched robbery by a lone attacker with no known link to terrorism. Police said that’s exactly why they wanted to release it.

In his first remarks on the assault, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Saturday that the attacker was simply “crazy.” He questioned what the gunman was going to do with the $2 million horde of poker chips he had tried to haul away. He also discounted any links to the Islamic State group, saying this “is not the work of ISIS. The work of the ISIS is more cruel and brutal.”

Despite some initially contradictory accounts of the chaos, what is known so far appears to back up that claim.

Although the attacker was well armed – Albayalde said he was carrying 90 bullets in three rifle clips – there are no confirmed reports that he shot any civilians. Instead, he fired into the ceilings, scattering panicked crowds, some of whom jumped out windows to escape what they believed to be a terror attack.

Albayalde said the security footage contained a clear motive: the gunman headed straight for a storage room that contained poker chips. He is seen shooting through several thick white doors, breaking down one of them at 12:18 a.m. Friday – only 11 minutes after his arrival. Abayalde suggested he set fires as a diversionary tactic and his next move was to try to get out.

More than 12,000 people were in the complex at the time; most were successfully evacuated.

Zia Massoud Leading Anti-Govt Protests…His (censored) Facebook Page

[“Little Lion of Panjshir,” Massoud the Younger Warns Govt. of Civil War]

 

[The following came from Zia Massoud’s Facebook page.  For some reason, and in some unknown manner, Google translate would not translate points 5, 8 and 9, so matter how it was entered.  My new computer has a translator which translated the points censored by Facebook.]
Ahmad Zia Massoud
 https://www.facebook.com/Ziamassoud/posts/1713370818673817

 

Declaration of the political office of Ahmad Zia Massoud in link with the terrorist attack in Kabul city and the Suppression of a demonstration by the Government of the country of the دادخواهانۀ citizens of Kabul-Afghanistan 1396 license equal to 13 3 Jun noble and noble people of Afghanistan 2017!
After the so-called national unity Government, morphing, dear we saw spread of insecurity and terrorist attacks in the capital and provinces of the country have been level. The terrorist attacks launched from the internal and external enemies of our people in collusion with agents over and sold them within the Organization and Government Executive.
The terrorist attacks, the top seat of the National Council for the protection of the American University, prominent figures in the hospital bed, 400, 209, lighting: movement of the Falcon recently attacked 1396 on Wednesday, 30 May day is one of the specific areas of diplomatic and security assurances under وزیراکبر Khan, causing the martyrdom and wounding of hundreds of citizens of our country dear.
Weakness in governance, political, ethnic and political disputes, the country’s defense and security institutions, which led to this insecurity and terrorist attacks spread across the country and most of the victims and our dear citizens incur the defense forces.
In such a critical situation and the lack of awareness of a hostile government programs are inevitably and citizens have the right to force the Government to respond and bring reform in all areas of governance. So that was Friday, 12 may 1396 gathering of civil society institutions and the citizens of the country, both men and women aware of the demonstrations peacefully in accordance to the Constitution and is one of the basic rights of citizenship to identify partners and launched and after the bloody incident in Kabul.
But unfortunately, this civil and peaceful demonstration due to not disclose and not after the terrorist incident tracking and other similar events to direct rule by Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was lack of suppression and violence, to public opinion and public opinion of the case and the principle of the event to boost the Mujahedin and up among the nation’s attention. This action causes the disordered and ugly rich young Shahid Ashraf being seven and wounding dozens of other young, was justice for the martyrs and wounding over much of their countrymen were fed and litigation. This practice is contrary to human rights standards جنایتکارانه and Dr. rich and his team by some human rights institutions at the national and international levels to the most severe sentence was denounced and words.
Noble people of Afghanistan!

Critical and historical conditions in the homeland. As a citizen of this country I of all the brothers, sisters, youth, intellectuals, civil society organizations, political parties, trade unions and the private sector is to save the people and their land of any kind of egalitarian and adaltkhahane نورزیم hesitate to fight and as a single nation to dispose of all tastes and personal interests for the greater your dignity dear people and win real to do.

Therefore, this should be the following tips for litigation:

1. after the terrorist attack on the media and colleagues may 10, 1396 and other terrorist attacks and sentenced to criminal penalties, and identification;

2. The Haqqani network and the Taliban were included that the courts of the country in their files to the criminal law have been sentenced to criminal penalties, and should soon be اجراییه;

3. No group and personal is not allowed to use national security and defense forces to render testimony providing personal interests and citizens who follow the very Constitution;

4. After the young to render testimony and wounded a civil and peaceful demonstration down 12 may 1396 be sentenced to criminal penalties, and identification;

5. گارنیزیون cable is not a person, but to all the citizens of the relevant cables, so he was very گارنیزیون because of the jurisdiction of the وظیفوی and غیرمسوولانه personal opinion expressed through the mass media of duty and dismissed the judicial authorities be introduced;

6. In the case of the demonstration and civil and peaceful movement of citizens about terrorist attack or terrorism, Afghanistan which is actually the responsibility of it to the Security Council, a rich person shower Ashraf and گارنیزیون will be

7 cables. Dear and noble people of Afghanistan to keep up tlebm یکپارچکی and save our beloved میهمن of the current crisis, many for exacerbating the crisis and fueling ethnic prejudices and not language;

8. This is the rule of the majority opinion, the people of Afghanistan have no legitimacy and of all national and international institutions, so sorry for the crisis of legitimacy went out of hmajanbeh and activities organized in the Center and provinces beginning;

9. The global community of inconvenience to the Government’s case against crime investigation and this Government are forced to make the election of human rights and democratic values in Afghanistan.

 

President Ashraf Ghani’s former envoy for reforms and good governance said demonstrations would continue until an interim government was established.

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President Ashraf Ghani’s former envoy for reforms and good governance Zia Massoud on Friday joined demonstrators outside Kabul’s Emergency Hospital and organized a sit in protest. 

Massoud warned that they would continue demonstrations until government leaders stepped down and an interim government was established.

By early evening there were still between 200 and 300 protesters outside the hospital, where the bodies of those killed at Friday’s rally had been taken. The wounded were also being treated at the same hospital.

The protestors who took to Kabul streets on Friday morning, carried placards with slogans on and also chanted “Down with Ghani”.

The demonstration was calm and peaceful for the first two hours when protestors were on their way to Zanbaq Circle. However, it turned violent when they tried to get closer to Wednesday’s blast scene and on to the Presidential Palace.

“Our protest today is to awake up the government. We are here to clear the Presidential Palace from Taliban circles who are within the government,” said a female member of the rally.

“For God sake and for the sake of those who you love. Have mercy on the Afghan nation,” another protestor said.

A few hours later, security forces opened fire on protestors.

“You (government) are shooting on demonstrators? Go and shoot on Taliban and other insurgents. Shame on you. You love power. You are not an elected government,” said a female protestor.

Hospital officials earlier revised the death down to five from seven and put the wounded at 15.

Security forces opened fire on the demonstrators near Zanbaq Circle, at the scene of Wednesday’s deadly truck bombing.

This mass rally was in protest against government for failing to prevent attacks in Kabul city following Wednesday’s deadly truck bombing in Wazir Akbar Khan area, which is not only in the heart of the city but is also the diplomatic zone. At least 100 people were killed in the explosion and over 600 wounded.

Amnesty International immediately issued a statement condemning the Afghan security forces’ actions against demonstrators and Biraj Patnaik, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director, said: “The security forces’ use of excessive and fatal force on protesters voicing anger over one of Afghanistan’s deadliest attacks ever illustrates the authorities’ contempt for the lives of ordinary people.

“While there are reports that a minority of protesters used violence including throwing stones at the police, this does not justify such an excessive and deadly response,” said Patnaik.

“The people of Afghanistan deserve justice and there should immediately be an independent and effective investigation into the bombing so that the perpetrators can be held accountable,” he added.

“The authorities must also investigate the unlawful use of force against protesters and ensure that those responsible for deaths during the protest are brought to justice in fair trials.”